Seychelles has considerable opportunities to continue climbing the income ladder, especially given its natural capital, which is of global significance, says a recent World Bank report, the Seychelles Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD)“Seychelles has built a powerful brand name linked to the abundance and beauty of its natural environment and resources, including its tropical islands, beaches, and the ocean. The opportunity is for Seychelles to consolidate its regional, and even global, leadership status in the management and sustainable use of these resources”. A further source of opportunities for Seychelles arises from its strategic location in the western Indian Ocean. This is well-aligned with the emerging global focus on sustainable ocean resource use and management – the Blue Economy.

James Michel Foundation, Press Release, 16 May 2016: Seychelles Former President James Michel met with Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah, the Chief Executive of Nature Seychelles, the largest and oldest nature conservation NGO operating in the Seychelles, at Espace building today.

“If we want the Blue Economy game to change then India is a game changer”. Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah, Chief Executive of Nature Seychelles said this in an article published in August 2015 at the end of former President James Michel’s State Visit to India.

TODAY in Seychelles, 14th January 2017, by N. Tirant: Seychelles fishermen want to take part in and have a say in discussions that they claim could affect the country’s fisheries and fish stocks and have a long term effect on their livelihoods.

Two years after the announcement that it would be made a protected nature reserve under the Nature Parks and Conservancy Act, the island group of D’Arros, situated 250km from Mahé in Seychelles’ outer islands, is back in the environmental limelight. And this time, the public wants to be heard on the second attempt to turn the group into a “special reserve” that could affect livelihoods.

Recent emotive statements by politicians vying for the post of President in both the United States and Seychelles made me realize that no matter how different the Presidential races may be between these two countries, there are indeed some important similarities. At least one topic has produced similar pronouncements from several candidates in both countries. Economic inequality or the personal earning gap has spawned a blame game, but no realistic economic solution. I believe this is because economic inequality is not only a fact in both countries but is also a complex phenomenon which is not very well understood.

Seychelles Nation, April 2 2016:The Online Ocean Forecasting System which was launched last year is a model which has been developed specifically for the region of Seychelles by India through the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES). The forecasting system provides forecast products such as ocean current, waves, oil spill advisory, sea surface temperature among others.

(Seychelles News Agency: 22 March 2016) - Seychelles is now better able to safeguard its waters with the installation of a coastal surveillance radar system officially inaugurated on Monday, the minister of foreign affairs said. The project has been implemented with the support of the Indian government.

TODAY in Seychelles, 9th Marth 2016: The Minister for Finance and the Blue Economy believes the decision to settle country’s debt with the Paris Club means more money to promote sustainability and protect the environment